Spirits

This Old-School Cider Brings Tidings of Comfort…and Joy

Sea Cider Wassail, spiced with orange peel and cinnamon, is the perfect combination of old and new.

By Neal McLennan /

Sea Cider Wassail, spiced with orange peel and cinnamon, is the perfect combination of old and new.

Sea Cider Wassail, $19

Cider may be the hot new thing, but it doesn’t get any more old-school than wassail, the hot mulled punch that literally knocked them on their ears back in the Middle Ages. The old and the new meet with Sea Cider’s version—all candied orange peel with spicy cinnamon and cloves. Find an apple tree and drink it underneath. It’ll ensure a good harvest next year—that’s a promise.

cider

Neal McLennan

Neal McLennan

Neal McLennan is the wine and spirits editor for Vancouver and Western Living magazines, where he susses out the wonderful (and occasionally weird) options for imbibing across Western Canada.